Fascism is the union of government with private business against the People."To The States, or any one of them, or to any city of The States: Resist much, Obey little; Once unquestioning obedience, at once fully enslaved; Once fully enslaved, no nation, state, city, ever afterward resumes its liberty." from "Caution" by Walt Whitman

Wednesday, July 23, 2014

WHINSEC (Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation) is responsible to aiding and training fascist death squads across the Americas, targeting journalists, human rights advocates, labor union organizers, and "leftist" political organizers. See Fascism in the Republic of Honduras [link].

"Police Deny Street Permit for Annual Vigil at Fort Benning, Georgia"CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS UNDER ATTACK IN GEORGIA;POLICE DENY STREET PERMIT FOR ANNUAL VIGIL AT FORT BENNING, GEORGIA.2014-07-23 from "SOA Watch" [www.soaw.org]: Columbus, Georgia - The Columbus Police Department, continuing its history of antagonizing the movement to close the US military training camp known as the SOA/WHINSEC (School of the Americas, renamed Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation), has this year placed unjust, unsafe and unconstitutional restrictions on the annual SOA Watch Vigil, essentially attempting to shut down the peaceful protest at the main gates of Fort Benning.In a letter to grassroots solidarity group SOA Watch, Police Chief Ricky Boren explained that the thousands expected at this year's Vigil, the group's 25th, would have to somehow limit themselves to no more than 200 and stay on sidewalks five feet back from the street. The permit for the stage and sound, which has for years lifted up the voices of those targeted by the infamous military training school, like Padre Melo from Honduras, who's been threatened since speaking out against the SOA graduate-led coup in 2009, was also denied.Nevertheless, SOA Watch pledges to return to Ft. Benning, hold the annual vigil, and continue its nonviolent tradition of protecting family-friendly, safe and legal protest. In response to police chief Boren, the human rights group writes, "we have responsibilities and freedoms under our constitution to peacefully assemble and to speak truth to power.""This year, more than any other, we are called to demonstrate our solidarity with the people of Latin America, 25 years after SOA graduates committed the brutal massacre at the University of Central America," said veteran and founder Father Roy Bourgeois. He continued, "When our military training continues to target communities, forcing the unaccompanied migration of thousands of refugee children, we must speak out. It is no surprise that when the stakes are this high, our movement is faced with political attacks on our constitutional rights."The Columbus Police Department has a history of active opposition to SOA Watch's right to free speech, including harassment and intimidation by plainclothes officers, low-flying helicopters used to disrupt the solemn vigil, changing insurance requirements in a last-minute effort to target SOA Watch, and more. In 2001, the city tried to stop the protest in court; in 2002, police conducted mass warrantless searches of all participants, for which SOA Watch filed suit. In both cases, federal courts vindicated the movement's constitutional right to free speech and assembly.Thousands of human rights activists have gathered every November for the demonstration since the first anniversary of the 1989 SOA graduate-led massacre of 16-year-old Celina Ramos, her mother Elba Ramos and six Jesuit priests at the University of Central America in El Salvador. The November Vigil commemorates those who have been killed by SOA/WHINSEC graduates, and calls for the closure of the institute, which perpetuates coups, torture, extrajudicial killings, and human rights abuses in the face of social and political problems. The SOA/WHINSEC made headlines in 1996 when the Pentagon released SOA training manuals that advocated torture, extortion and execution. Among its graduates are at least 11 dictators as well as leaders of infamous Central American death squads. Currently, SOA graduates are linked to the Honduran military coup and the repression campaign against social movements there, among other humanitarian crises.

No comments:

Post a Comment

United States Fascism operates as a research archive for the Northbay Movement for a democratic Society [link], with a weekly FM radio news and commentary program [link], broadcast Thursdays, 4 to 5pm, at 89.5 FM in Vallejo.

Attention: Fair Use rights reserved: Title 17 U.S.C. § 107. Limitations on exclusive rights: Fair use - For more information visit [link]. The act of providing articles and hyperlinks, as an expression of journalism, is to research and collect verifiable information for purposes of commentary and education, and does not constitute an endorsement of the "veracity of truths" or political-positions produced by the sources.

A New Revolution Has Begun

Fascism is Happening

The corporations and their allies in the KKK and Nazi Party never went away...

A free press ensures a free society...

"There is no such thing, at this date of the world's history... in America, as an independent press. You know it and I know it. The business of the Journalist is to destroy truth; to lie outright; to pervert; to vilify; to fawn at the feet of mammon, and to sell his country and his race for his daily bread. You know it and I know it and what folly is this toasting an independent press? We are the tools and vassals for rich men behind the scenes. We are the jumping jacks, they pull the strings and we dance. Our talents, our possibilities and our lives are all the property of other men. We are intellectual prostitutes." ~ John Swinton, former Chief of Staff, The New York Times, 1953

The act of collecting articles and hyperlinks, as an expression of journalism, is to research and provide verifiable information, and does not constitute an endorsement of the "veracity of truths" or political-positions produced by the sources.USA Federal Constitution, 1st Amendment: Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.Fair Use rights reserved: Title 17 U.S.C. § 107. Limitations on exclusive rights: Fair use - For more information visit [http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml].UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights, article 19: Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers.